Charlie and Luna Sitting in a Tree
by AlmondJoyz
Summary: He's been alone for too long. And then along comes Luna....
1. Chapter 1

Charlie and Luna Sitting in a Tree

Even though I'd known her for nearly her entire life, I never really "knew" her until Bill's wedding. It was hard not to notice her, what with those egg yolk coloured robes and all. The sunflower is what really intrigued me, though, as it happens to be one of my favourite flowers. Hey, a bloke like me can like sunflowers, so shut the fuck up, okay?

Anyway, I asked her to dance out of politeness. She was shorter than I thought, about Gin-Gin's height. When I took her hand in mine, I was stunned by the smallness and frailty of it. She lifted her head and smiled.

"It's so nice to see you again, Charles." Her voice lilted as if it were on dragon wings.

"Charlie. The prince is Charles," I reminded her. "How's school?"

"Considering that it's summer holidays, it's going extremely well."

I chuckled. "That was always my favourite part, too. What are you studying in the autumn term?"

"Umm, depending on my OWLs, I'd like to concentrate on Care of Magical Creatures. I spoke with Hagrid about doing some extra class work with him."

"I loved that class. Professor Kettleburn helped me get my post in Romania." I turned us around so the sun wasn't in her eyes. "I have my old textbo0ks in the attic if you want them. I can't promise anything as exciting as The Monster Book of Monsters, but they're pretty damn useful."

"Oh that would be wonderful!" she said with glee. She tilted her head to the side and the sunflower drooped a bit. I reached up and tucked it back inside her hair, which was downy soft.

"And just so you know, they're not all about dragons." In fact, some of the more advanced Creature texts dealt with a lot of mythical animals, and I knew she was into strange animals and all; Ginny always wrote about Luna.

"Is the Crumple-Horned Snorkack in there?"

That's right. I couldn't remember what Ginny called them.

"Actually, I think it is. I even know someone who's seen one."

Luna squealed in joy, causing several people to look at us curiously. George made a rude gesture and Fred crossed his eyes while he made a funny face. I swear those two will never grow up; they'll be perpetual adolescents.

"I've dreamed of seeing one my entire life. Father's been trying to organize another trip but, so far, hasn't got the finances in order yet."

To tell you the truth, the chap who saw it was a little loony in my book, but he's got a photo of it and you can't really argue with that sort of evidence now, can you?

Luna continued on about the Snorkack, her voice becoming as animated as I've ever heard. Earlier, it had a dreamy, ethereal quality about it, but now, it was full of excitement, the way I get when I talk about my work. I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm for I had the same for my animal of choice.

I was just about to ask her to sit and talk some more about Care of Magical Creatures when Kingsley Shacklebolt's Patronus showed up and the world started to go to hell.

* * *

The next time I saw her, she was sitting at a House table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts after dismissing Harry, distracting everyone by claiming to see a Blibbering Humdinger. I gave a half-smile at that, knowing exactly what she was doing.

Luna's hair was mussed up and a little singed. There were smears of soot or dirt on her cheeks and she looked as if she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. Despite my own grief over the loss of Fred, I felt compelled to walk over and soon found myself taking a seat next to her.

"Hey."

"Hello, there," she answered, placing a hand on one of mine. It felt like years since we'd danced together at Bill's wedding. "I'm so sorry about Fred. He was very amusing and entertaining."

"Thanks. He was." I looked over my shoulder and saw George staring blankly at the body of his twin; it made my heart ache to look at them. "George…he's—"

"He'll feel lost."

"Exactly."

Luna smiled briefly and I noticed her eyes well up. Funny, it was my brother who was killed, yet it was she who was crying over him. I reached up and wiped away the solitary tear.

"Where's your father? He wasn't here to fight."

Luna sighed. "Alas, he's in Azkaban."

"Since when? How can you be so calm?" Was she completely mental?

"There's nothing I could have done about it as I was in the Malfoys' dungeon." She sighed again. "He'll be let out soon, once everything gets straightened out. Of that much, I am certain."

"You have a lot of faith in people who've screwed over a lot of us lately," I reminded her. Bureaucracy never freed people quickly.

"It's all I have right now, Charles. Faith builds character, and character builds hope; hope doesn't disappoint us. I have hope that the world will eventually become a better place. We had such bad times of late…things have to get better."

Somehow, her fuzzy logic made sense. We had to get through all this crap in order to have a future. Funny how the person perceived as the most illogical could be the voice of reason in a room full of grief. Her remarks made me hopeful for the first time in months, even though it was mere hours after the death of my brother.

"You're a remarkable girl, Luna."

"Not remarkable," she corrected. "Only perceptive and intuitive,"

"Well, whatever you wanna call it, you're eons ahead of most of us." I patted her on the head and smiled at her, getting up to join my family. "Come with me. I think Ginny could use a friend right now."

* * *

I left England to return to the reserve at the end of May. It was the longest I'd stayed at home since finishing Hogwarts. I love my family, don't get me wrong, but I'm not much for all the raw emotion that was filling the house after Fred's funeral. Mum blubbered on about him and was a right basket case at his funeral. George was walking around like a zombie. For my own sanity, I had to leave.

At the end of July, I got an owl from Ginny. As I read the letter, I couldn't believe that she was turning seventeen. The little sprout grew up when I wasn't watching. That very day, I made arrangements to go home for her birthday.

After four Apparition stops, three time zones, and a quick shower, I arrived at The Burrow for Ginny's party. I opened the gate to the back garden and was greeted by my now-legal sister snogging Harry Potter on a wooden bench. Stopped dead in my tracks, I watched them grope and kiss, realizing that it had been almost two years since I'd snogged a girl; there aren't many female dragon keepers, and blokes just don't do it for me, contrary to what Bill thinks.

"Excuse me, but I thought there was a party," I interrupted, chuckling softly as the two of them jerked apart and Harry turned a shade of red I'd never seen on him before.

"Charlie!" Ginny ran to me and leapt into my arms, and I spun her around.

"Happy birthday, kiddo!" I set her on the ground. "So what's with you and the Chosen One?"

It was her turn to blush.

"Just…giving me something to remember him by."

"He better NOT!" I swooped down on Harry in my best big-brother act and glared at him. "You keep that pecker inside those pants and away from my sister! I don't care if you're everyone's bloody hero or not!"

"Y—y—yes, Charlie," Harry answered in a pathetic voice. He looked pathetic, too; his eyes were wide, and he was visibly shaking. You'd think that the boy who knocked out Voldemort would know a joke when it bit him in the arse.

"Stop it, Charlie, and apologize," she warned. "Remember Therese McAvoy?"

She would have to bring that up, wouldn't she? I'll save that explanation for another day.

"Sorry, Harry," I reassured him and grabbed him round the shoulders. "I'm just taking the mickey. You of all people should be allowed to have some good old sex."

Harry sputtered, "We weren't—"

"I know!" I raised my hands. "Just wanted to let you know that none of us brothers are that stupid as to deny the fact that our sister is madly in love with you and would most likely corner you in the broom shed just to get inside your trousers."

I laughed as they both opened their mouths, the epitome of being gobsmacked, and headed toward the house where I hoped I'd find Mum hopefully flitting about the kitchen in pre-party mode. I seriously hoped that she'd got over the heavy grief of losing Fred.

Instead of my mother in the kitchen, it was Luna. She was directing pots and pans around the place as if it were her own kitchen. Flour dappled her face and hair, making her look like an appaloosa horse. I smiled at the image before me. Ginny had told me that Luna practically lived at The Burrow these days, but I hadn't quite believed her.

"Where's my mum?"

Luna spun around on her toes and beamed at me. When she smiled, her whole face lit up, giving her a bit of a glow. Could have been from the heat of the kitchen, but I preferred to think it was just her.

"Charlie! We weren't expecting you so soon!"

Before I had a chance to respond, she threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around my middle, hugging me as if I were her brother and not Ginny's. When she stopped squeezing me, I set her away from me.

"Where's Mum?"

"She and your father are at Shell Cottage, trying to convince Fleur that she doesn't look like a beached whale."

I nodded. Fleur had found out last week that she was expecting; apparently, at six weeks pregnant, she felt like a beach ball. Bill told me in a letter that her breasts were huge and sensitive and that she loved having him fuck her tits. Ooops…probably shouldn't have said that. I shook that thought out of my head and poked my head into the scullery and grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer from the ice-filled tub.

"Ron and Hermione are out at the pond…"

_Did my little brother finally grow a pair?_ I ripped off the cork and took a swig, savouring the cool liquid flowing into my throat.

"Ginny is out snogging Harry, although you probably knew that. But I don't think she told you they're going to have sex tonight for the first time."

I sprayed her with the Butterbeer that I just poured into my mouth and tried to apologise.

"That's alright, Charlie," she answered cool as can be. "In some circles, it's good luck. Would you like some good luck?" She reached for the bottle, but I yanked it out of her reach.

"That's a little more than I wanted to know," I answered, feeling my cheeks warm at her comment. "So why are you in the kitchen?"

"Not a very smooth segue, Charlie." Luna gave a half-smile and I surprisingly felt myself think she was flirting with me. Before I could respond, she said, "I told your mother I'd help with the cooking."

Before I could ask Luna about my mother, the door swung open and I was engulfed in my mum's arms, and she began peppering my cheeks with kisses, just like she used to do when I was little. This was one of the times when I wished I was more Weasley than Prewett in my build.

"Mum…Mum, geroff me!" I managed to get out of her grasp and was swept into more hugs from the rest of the family.

It was good to be home with them, I decided, as I looked around the room. My eyes landed on Luna, still standing near the worktop. She looked so lonely and I wondered if her father had been released yet. No one should have to put her life on hold waiting like she did.

Everyone deserved a happy ending.

* * *

Christmas was far more festive than I had expected it to be. My parents took joy in the fact that there would be a new baby soon rather than lingering over Fred's death. It was nice to see them smiling rather than crying. Bill looked almost as pregnant as Fleur; the poor bloke put on a bit of sympathy weight and earned himself quite a bit of ribbing from us brothers. Percy, who was still as stuffy as ever, brought home….wait for it…a girl! Audrey Beauregard, an American witch from 'Lew—eez—ee—ay—ana', was helping the Ministry sort through the mess left behind by Thicknesse's crew. Percy originally introduced her as his 'friend from work,' but I noticed the way she looked at him and how he kept touching her. Audrey was perhaps the most difficult person to understand, given her strange accent. Fleur, of course, understood her perfectly, claiming that it was 'Ze 'uguenot blood in ze bose of us.'

George and Ron were both shagging their birds, I could tell. Angelina Johnson sat next to George at dinner and the two of them couldn't stop looking at each other or touching. I figured they'd been shagging for only a few weeks; they were still in the 'Oh Merlin, we're having sex' stage of their relationship. Ron, on the other hand, has been bedding Hermione for a while now. He was openly drooling over her as she walked past, his eyes settling on the rather shapely arse draped in purple cloth. Apparently, he hasn't got any lately and has most likely been fucking his right hand most nights.

Ginny and Harry were no longer single entities. It wasn't 'Ginny went to Diagon Alley to buy the Christmas decorations,' but 'Harry and Ginny went to Diagon Alley…', 'Ginny and Harry babysat Teddy the other night…' _Blah, blah, blah_. The poor bloke was as whipped as I've ever seen and it was disgusting to watch. However, my sister was almost as bad. It was obvious that she was beyond happy with him; if anyone deserved such happiness it was those two. I just prefer not to think about them _together_ together.

So, yeah, I was the lone single in the house and by the time dinner was over and pudding had been consumed, I felt distinctly out of place in the home I'd grown up in. Bill was massaging Fleur's bump. Percy and Audrey were playing chess with Ron and Hermione. George and Angelina were snogging, and Harry and Ginny were cuddled up on the couch doing Merlin knew what underneath an old Gryffindor blanket. Mum and Dad merely smiled at all of this.

The clock rang seven and there was a knock at the door. Without saying a thing, I sprang up and opened the door.

"Luna! Happy Christmas!" A broad smile spread across my face. "How are you?"

As she stepped inside, her father stood behind her and smiled warmly at me. Xeno had always been a little odd, but his time in prison made him look three sizes too small.

Mum and Dad joined us at the door, and soon, the Lovegoods joined us in the already crowded sitting room. Luna passed around presents and surprised me by placing a small package on my lap.

"You didn't have to get me anything." I felt strangely nervous around her, something I never am around women.

"Well," she began in a very light voice, "you did loan me your books and I never did say thank you properly for them."

"I just hope they help." I put my hand on her knee, a completely innocent gesture, and when she placed hers on mine, my hand jumped away.

"Is there a Nargle in here?" She looked around the room curiously.

"Wha—what?" I followed her glances around the room.

"Nargles. They live inside mistletoe. Oh! There's some!" She pointed at the bunch dangling above the door by the stairs. "Must be for when everyone goes upstairs to pretend they're not going to shag tonight."

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that girl plans saying things like that just to shock me.

"Yeah, well, maybe. All I can say is that I'll be the lonely one tonight." I really should have brought a date. Even a pity date would have been better than watching my family make goo-goo eyes at people they loved.

"That's probably true. If it's any comfort, I'll be lonely, too."

Our eyes locked and I noticed, not for the first time, that Luna, with her big blue eyes and wispy, blond hair, was rather attractive. She smelled like winter: piny and crisp, like the morning after a heavy snowfall. I also saw the truth in her statement. Her eyes were lonely and behind them was a need for friendship or something more.

I had to shake that thought out of my head. She's seventeen and one of my sister's best friends. A child, really. A little girl.

"Open your present," she said softly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Er…yeah, sorry." I ripped off the paper and opened the little box. "Luna…wow. Thanks." It was a little jade dragon figurine that swished its tail back and forth. If I wasn't mistaken, it was a Welsh Green.

"Oh Charlie, that's lovely." I looked up and saw Mum admire the little dragon in my hand.

All heads turned toward us, making me uncomfortable with unwanted attention. I just knew that my cheeks were red.

"Yeah, it's great, isn't it? Thanks, Luna."

I then realized that it was probably a pity gift, seeing as how she had a connection to nearly everyone else in my family; she just didn't want me to feel left out. She was friends with Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry; Bill and Fleur took care of her after escaping the Malfoys; she and George spent time together at Muriel's, and Mum and Dad looked after here there, too. Hell, I even heard from Ginny that Luna and Percy liked to debate about politics.

All of a sudden, I excused myself and walked into the kitchen on the pretence of needing a refill of my drink. I had to swallow down the feeling that I really didn't belong here anymore. My job had become my life and that's where I felt the most comfortable. I was always close to Bill, but with impending fatherhood, all he wanted to talk about was the baby and Fleur. Percy was always too intellectual for me; George was always good for a laugh, but we were never really friendly. Ron could at least talk a lot about Quidditch but that's where the similarities ended; we were just too far apart in age to be close. Even though I love my sister to the end of the world, she'll always be three years old to me and finally being potty-trained like she was when I left for Hogwarts.

That really was the reason I didn't come home as often as my parents would have liked. I was too much of a nature boy to stick around in boring old Devon. I had explored every tunnel and cave in the county by the time I was fourteen. There was no wonder here after that and the opportunity to work in Romania couldn't have come at a better time. I had my heart broken by none other than Dora Tonks; her drive to be an Auror was the decision that broke us up. I couldn't hang around here for three years. No one will ever know the pain I experienced when I heard that she'd married Remus. I guess I'd always held out hope that we could work things out.

"Charlie?" It was Luna. "What's the matter?"

I cleared my throat. "What makes you think anything's wrong?"

"You left to get a refill when the drinks are in the other room on the sideboard. You've been gone far too long to realize your error and…and you look how I feel sometimes."

"What?" I ran my hand through my hair in an effort to hide the fact I was wiping my right eye.

"Lonely. You said it yourself earlier. I feel lonely, too. Especially when I see my friends so happy and in love. I've never been in love. Have you?"

I chuckled. "Luna, you're seventeen. You're not supposed to be in love yet. Ginny's been in love with Harry her whole life, even before she met him."

"But you haven't answered my question, which is only polite." She stepped forward until she was right in front of me. "Have you ever been in love?"

I could only nod.

"Lately?"

"No."

"Have you been involved with anyone since?" She raised an eyebrow.

"For only a night or two," I answered. It was true; my mother would be appalled at the number of one-night stands I've had. "It's hard to find someone who…who…"

"…understands me," we say simultaneously.

"Why did you give me that present, Luna?" I asked. If I moved my head to the right a bit, I could almost kiss her.

"Because I thought we were friends. We don't know each other well, but I have always felt strangely connected to you. Almost as if," she paused to sigh, "almost as if we were both bitten by the—"

I stopped her with a gentle kiss; I couldn't help myself. Her eyes closed as I continued to kiss her, telling me this was her first kiss. I placed my hands on her cheeks and held her there, wanting her first kiss to be everything she could have ever wanted. She moaned as my tongue traced the line of her lips before delving inside to taste her. The kiss had gone on far longer than it should have. I knew I should stop, but she was finally kissing me back. It had been so long and…

"Hey, what's…going…on?"

Luna and I jumped apart as Harry came to a stop just inside the kitchen; he looked as shocked as I'm sure we did.

"Charlie was just kissing me, Harry," she said bluntly. That was perhaps one of her more endearing qualities. I'm the same way.

"Er...yeah." Harry backed out and retreated back into the sitting room.

"Thank you, Charlie." She lifted up onto her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek. "It was very nice, and hopefully not the last kiss."

Without a word, she flitted out the door, her hair sashaying behind her.

* * *

After Christmas, Luna was around all the time. She came to The Burrow on the pretence of visiting Ginny but really spent her time with me. I didn't mind, of course. She was interesting in an odd, amusing way. But we had loads in common and would talk about nature, animals, various creatures, and the mythical ones she was so intent on believing were real. What was really nice, I have to admit, was kissing her. She was an enthusiastic partner and didn't argue when I touched her...soft places.

"Mmm...that's nice," she moaned as I began kneading her left breast.

We were sprawled on my bed and her leg was hooked over my hip, pulling me into her. My jeans were tight with my throbbing erection and the contact stopped any rational thoughts in their tracks. Our hips met in erratic thrusts; I couldn't help it.

"Luna...Luna...we should stop," I groaned as I pulled away from her, taking in her appearance. I sighed as I realized exactly how far we'd gone.

Her shirt was off and the front clasp of her bra was undone, exposing her breasts to the cool air of the room. Love bites peppered her smooth, pale skin and I reached to touch them, hoping to soothe them somehow. Her trousers were unbuttoned, revealing white knickers with green frogs on them. The scent of her arousal filled my nostrils as I sighed again.

"You didn't need to stop." She trailed a finger down my bare chest, following the line of curly hair into my belly button. Her hands went to my hips, drawing the jeans further down my hips and then moving to the back to cup my arse.

"Lu...Fuck don't do that!" I growled when her hands went to the front and squeezed my cock. Panic rose up inside me and I backed away toward the edge of the bed, almost falling off the edge.

"Charlie, I don't want to be a virgin anymore."

Why did she have to put it that way?

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said reluctantly.

"Is it because you think you're too large for me? Or do you have erectile dysfunction? There are potions for that, you know."

"NO! It's none of that, I swear."

"Or are you a premature ejaculator?"

"NO! Look, Luna...I just don't—"

"Are you a virgin, too?" Her eyes widened if that was at all possible and she moved to straddle me, swirling her hips in a most tantalizing manner.

"Of course not!" I had to look away from her because she was just too tempting to look at. "Can you...button up, please? We need to talk."

She slid off me and I felt the bed dip.

"I'm dressed."

I turned toward her and couldn't help but notice the sadness in her eyes.

"It's not that I don't...want this." I waved my hand between us. "It's just that you're so young—"

"I'm eighteen!"

"And I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Then it's a perfect reason to make love."

I ran my hands through my hair. "No, it's not!"

"Give me a good reason, Charles."

I bit my lip and tried to tamp down the urge to fling her onto her back and pound into her tight, virginal body. Instead, I took a deep breath and pulled her onto my lap.

"Because when I finally do make love to you, I want to keep you in bed for days on end, learning every little thing about your body and showing you exactly how beautiful you are." I wasn't exactly sure that would ever happen, but I couldn't stand the look of rejection on her face.

"Oh."

Our lips met in a slow and gentle kiss, tongues probing gently. At that moment, I knew that what I had told her would happen someday.

For the first time since Dora, I returned to Romania with a girlfriend living in England.

* * *

Back at the reserve, I kept my relationship with Luna to myself. I wrote to her occasionally, as often as I could, actually. Some blokes starting ribbing me, asking who would want to write to a freckled and ripped up tosser like me and placing bets on the gender of said person. Most of them had various chits that they visited in the village and when I stopped going with them, my masculinity was called into question.

"Veesley!" screamed Vladamir Porachenko. "Owl dropped this for you!" Vlad stomped across the muddy ground and presented me with a thick envelope with 'Charles Weasley' written in Luna's very feminine writing.

"Thanks," I said, taking the parchment from him. When he didn't leave immediately, I stared at him, knowing some sort of remark was just begging to pop out of his mouth.

"Letter from voman, no? She sent you all them?" he asked, a smile begging to burst forth across his face.

I felt my face warm and nodded, turning away from him before walking back to my cabin. I knew what Luna was going to be writing about in this letter, and there was no way in hell that I was going to read it in front of everyone else.

The upcoming Easter weekend was my assigned time off and I had invited her to visit. Merlin knows what ever possessed me to do that, given the fact that it was the middle of mating season. But I hadn't seen Luna for three months and I was tired of listening to everyone's sexual stories when I was left to my own devices, so to speak.

I ripped open the envelope and smiled at seeing her small, neat writing.

_Charlie,_

_Thank you for your last letter. I pored over it while I sat on my bed and masturbated. I had three orgasms_.

Fuck! Does she have to say things like that?

_I spoke with my father about making the trip to visit and he said it would be a good experience for me to see the dragons and try to photograph a baluar. Do you have any of those at the reserve? I would imagine they would be quite plentiful there in Curtea de Arges._

I shook my head. Baluar's were strictly mythical but I made a note to check with the local Baba Cloanta before Luna arrived.

_Ginny told me that she and Harry are going to Italy after school finishes. She hasn't told me much about what they have planned, but I am reasonably sure that she said that there would be a lot of intercourse involved. It appears that the two of them have become very proficient at it since August. _

_Speaking of intercourse, I've decided to bring along some contraception for my voyage. I certainly hope that we can discover how to satisfy each other sexually. In addition to masturbating, I have purchased a Pulsating Pleasurestick from George's shop. It works incredibly well, but I have a feeling the sensation of your thick and erect penis inside me will be much better._

_I am looking forward to visiting you and I miss you tremendously._

_Yours, _

_Luna_

I decided that Luna would be the death of me, but I couldn't imagine a more pleasurable demise.

* * *

I paced back and forth across the floor of the room I rented. Luna was in the bathroom, changing into something more "enticing" as she put it. Ever since she arrived via Portkey two hours earlier, we'd been virtually attached at the lips, and I really doubted her changing into something flimsy would have made any difference. I'd have gladly torn off her wool cloak, wool jumper, and jeans a happy man. But it was her first time, and I didn't want to take her up against the wall. She deserved better than that and I was determined that she'd have everything she'd ever wanted.

I looked around the room and quickly smiled, pleased with my efforts. The inn was a cosy place with a thatched roof outside of Bosrov. The bed took up most of the space in the room and I suddenly got nervous. What if things went horribly wrong? What if she was nervous and changed her mind? I ran my hands through my hair and began pacing, trying to talk myself out of it when the door of the bathroom opened. My head snapped up and my mouth dropped.

"Bloody hell."

Luna stood in the doorway of the bedroom with light bathing her from behind. I could see through the sheer, pale pink peignoir and I gulped as my eyes roamed over the silhouette of her lithe body. The flimsy fabric barely concealed her breasts and I could see that her nipples were hard. I stopped thinking altogether and stepped toward her like a sailor drawn in by the song of a Siren.

"You're beautiful," I said huskily, lightly sliding my hand along her shoulder and down her arm to lace my fingers with hers.

Luna blushed and I thought that sight would forever be etched into my memory. The flush of her cheeks gave her a glow that I'd rarely seen in other women. I marvelled at the opposing sides of her: innocence from the blush and wanton in her attire.

"I'm nervous," she admitted, clenching her fingers around mine. "I did not think I would be. I read all about it but now..."

"I know. It's thrilling but a little scary, too," I reassured her. I watched her bottom lip tremble and leaned in to soothe it with a kiss. The kiss was meant to calm her nerves, to let her know that we'd take our time and go as slowly as she wanted to. However, she opened her mouth and touched her tongue to mine, unleashing the horny devil inside me.

At the contact of her tongue, I pulled her to me, lifting her off the floor. Her breasts were pressed into my chest and our hips were aligned perfectly. She gave a little push of her hips against my straining cock, making me groan. I was harder than I could remember being in a long time, and I squeezed her tighter in my arms. I lifted her thigh and she hooked it around my waist while she squeaked as we kissed.

Without thinking, I stumbled toward the huge bed and fell upon it with Luna in my arms. Our hands went everywhere; I dived inside her negligee to massage a breast while she tugged down my jeans with incredibly agile fingers, using her feet to push them down past my knees and toward my ankles. I reluctantly pulled my mouth from hers and rolled onto my side as she panted.

"Lu...hold on," I said breathily, kicking my jeans onto the floor and whipping the shirt off my body.

"Are you leaving your socks on?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Er...no, I'm not." I began lifting my leg to remove one of the socks when she stopped me with a hand on my thigh.

"Let me."

I watched as her hand slid down to my calf and then to the ankle. She grasped the white cotton and tugged until my right foot was bare, then repeated the process on the left. I was about to reach for her when she slid down the sheet and kissed the skin of my thigh tracing her tongue along a scar I received—Oh hell!

Her tongue went down my leg and she pulled my big toe into her mouth, sucking on it like a luscious sweet she couldn't get enough of it. I arched my back and groaned in pleasure. Tingling went from my toe to my hips, and I thrust up into the air as the tingling turned into a burning need to complete what we began just a few moments before.

I roared and grabbed her under her arms, sliding her up my body until she lay across me. For a few moments, we merely stared at each other, almost as if neither of us wanted to do anything else.

"Make love to me," she pleaded softly. "Please."

Without another word, I rolled us over and kneeled above her, supporting myself on my hands and knees. Even though we didn't touch, I could feel the heat of her body radiating off hers and into mine. I lowered my mouth and kissed her softly, in much the same way I kissed her way back at Christmas. Our lips moved slowly and tantalisingly across each others' and I savoured each sensation that she gave me.

I reached up and pulled one strap down her shoulder then leaned forward to kiss her skin and trail my tongue down her arm, placing a kiss on the inside of her elbow. Her hand moved up and brushed against my cheek, making me turn and face her.

"I love you, Charlie," she whispered.

Oh Merlin! Why did she have to say that? Don't get me wrong, I really liked her and all, but love? I never really thought of that before. I was twenty-six for crying out loud and in bed with an eighteen-year-old; what did love have to do with this?

Absolutely everything.

"It's okay. You don't have to say it just to make me feel better about where we are," she said, a bit of a sad look in those big, blue eyes of hers. "I want to have sex with you."

The words tumbled out of my mouth. "I love you, too, Luna."

At that moment, I realised that it was true. It wasn't said to get a leg over. I said it because she needed to know. I said it because this beautiful creature came halfway across the world to be with me and gave me her heart. I loved her and after years of heartache, I had healed.

I placed a kiss on her sweet, inviting lips before reaching down for the hem of her nightie and pulling it over her head.

"Sweet Merlin," I swore as I looked at her body before me. Her breasts, her stomach, her thighs...everything was displayed for me and I drank it in like a fine mulled wine. My hands roamed over her body, toying with her breasts, caressing her stomach, circling over her hips, and then kneading her inner thighs before heading toward her pussy.

She tasted like honey as my tongue traced her lips and then toyed with her clit. She lifted her hips toward my face as I buried my nose in her sweet, tantalising scent. I had to tamp down the urge to suck on her clit like a nursing Thestral; she was still new to this and I couldn't overwhelm her. I put all my knowledge into the task, swirling and licking, sucking and kissing, all of this to make her more than ready for me. My tongue was inside her when she climaxed and sounded as if she'd run a marathon.

"Charlie...now...please," she panted as she wove her fingers through my hair, tugging on my head to signal what she wanted.

My throat was thick with lust and wouldn't allow the words to come out. I pulled off my y-fronts and grabbed hold of myself as I slid up her body, nestling myself between her thighs. The tip brushed against her slick opening and I looked up to meet her gaze. Her eyes were wide and pleaded with me to move forward. As I kissed her softly on the lips, I thrust forward with my hips quickly, wanting to get the painful part over as quickly as possible for her. I gasped at the tightness that surrounded me and I had no idea if she screamed or sighed or what. I'd never been with a virgin and everything blokes ever told me about it was absolutely true. I had to count to stay in control; it was almost as if it was my first time all over again. I made a fool of myself then, but there was no way in hell I'd do it again twelve years later.

Time sped up as we moved together, caressing, kissing, thrusting, and moaning. As I struggled to maintain control of myself, I tasted tears as we kissed. Confused, I moved to look at her; she was, in fact crying, but I knew they were happy tears. That fact thrilled me to the core, and I finally allowed the sensations to overwhelm me and I shot into her, arching my back and pressing my hips hard against her. With a huff, I collapsed to her side, with my arm flung over her belly, feeling more contented and loved than I had in a very long time.

Life was good.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm an uncle.

I got an urgent owl from Bill the other day, telling me that my niece, Victoire Michele Weasley, arrived on the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat. I could practically feel the excitement in Bill as I read the letter and I smiled at the way life had the way of coming full circle so easily in a matter of months.

As soon as the females laid their eggs, about a month after Victoire arrived and right after Luna and Ginny finished Hogwarts, I found myself once again standing in the back garden of The Burrow. This time, it was filled with my family. However, my eyes searched for a girl with pale blonde hair.

"Charlie!" shouted my mother from across the garden. I watched with a smile as she made her way across the grass, followed by the horde of family. I was hugged, slapped, and kissed sloppily by the people I loved most in the world, yet noted the lack of blonde hair in the crowd surrounding me.

"Where's Luna?" I asked Ginny as she pulled out of a hug.

"Nice to know where we rate, dear brother." I turned and saw George winking at me. For a bloke who lost his twin brother a year ago, he looked remarkable. He even had a tan.

Bill stood beside me and looped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward the house.

"Before we lose you to one blonde, can I introduce you to another?" Even at the mere hint of his daughter, her face light up like the sun. He led me toward one of the apple trees where the sound of Fleur's singing trilled through the air. I stopped and looked at the little bundle wrapped in pink, asleep in her mother's arms.

"Wow. Wow, Bill...just...wow," I marvelled as I kneeled on the ground beside Fleur and reached up to pull back the blanket to reveal a little cherub with a little bow-tie mouth and the tiniest chin I'd ever seen.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Bill said from beside his wife.

"Not when she screams 'er 'ead off, Beel," cooed Fleur, looking lovingly into my brother's eyes. I suddenly felt like an intruder in their little family moment.

I patted my brother on the shoulder and he nodded as I left him and Fleur. Bill understood me more than the others; even though I would have given anything to spend time with my niece, I needed to be elsewhere. I missed Luna more than I thought I would and just the mere thought of holding her in my arms again made me tingle in anticipation. As I turned the corner toward the east side of the Burrow, voices greeted me.

"...an' new-tree-ah are verah healthy as food. Mah day-dee makes a wundafull gumbo," came Audrey's indecipherable twang.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't eat them, Audrey. I was thinking of domesticating them."

I grinned; that was Luna. I stepped out from the corner of the house and was pleased to see that Luna was facing away from me. Audrey made eye contact and winked.

"It ee-is an acquired tayste. Their aw-range teeth are useful in potions." Audrey's eyes darted over to me and I held a finger to my mouth.

"What do you do with their—"

I grabbed Luna around the waist and swung her around, interrupting her conversation, then kissed her hard. Her eyes widened and then she relaxed into me, returning the kiss with gusto.

"Ah'll just leave y'all alone, thay-an," Audrey said as she walked away, whistling happily.

I don't know how long we stood there kissing; it could have been hours for all I cared. It just felt so bloody good to touch her, to kiss her and taste her again. Finally, I couldn't breathe anymore and regretfully set her on the ground.

"Hi," I said stupidly, grinning like a mad idiot. Not even with Dora was I so stupidly in love: my stomach was in knots, I couldn't stop looking at her and my hands never stopped moving over her.

"Audrey eats nutria," said Luna, breathily.

"Good for her." I kissed her again and lifted her, coaxing her to wrap her legs around my waist. I'd have willingly paid a thousand Galleons for my family to disappear and for the two of us to be the only ones left. I still don't think that would be enough time with her.

Thankfully, Luna did what I'd hoped and put her long legs around me, pressing her body against mine. I moaned at the contact and cursed the fact that there was no tree for me to hold her against and fuck her hard. It had only been three months since we'd seen each other, but it felt more like three years.

"Er, Charlie, Mum's going to come round this way looking for you pretty quickly," came Bill's voice from behind me. "Remember when she caught you last time?" Without another word, he turned around as silently as he'd come.

I let Luna slide down my body, which was a huge mistake. The sensations of her grazing over my hard on caused me to wince. When she touched the ground, she kissed my neck lightly.

"Soon. We'll have to get away from everyone or I fear I shall embarrass myself and cause your mother to faint," she said in a teasing voice.

I chuckled and placed my hands on her bottom, giving it a little squeeze. "She's seen enough around here. She should be used to it by now."

"I don't want her to think ill of me, that's all," Luna said quietly. I lifted her chin to meet my eyes.

"I think she's just happy that we're happy," I reassured her.

Luna stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "I miss making love with you. You kept me in bed for three days and now I can't wait to get back there."

I groaned at her comment, knowing that I felt the same way.

She drew back and smiled sweetly. "I relived those moments over several times while I was at school." A faint blush coloured her cheeks. "I couldn't help but think of them when I was lonely and let my imagination inspire my dreams and guide my fingers into the warm places that belong to you."

I was ready to pounce, my mother be damned. Unfortunately, Mum came around the corner, squealing at us to come to the garden for dinner. Never before did I wish she wasn't such a good cook.

* * *

"Your scars are beautiful, Charlie," Luna said dreamily that night as we lay naked in my bed. I had defiantly taken her to my room with me that night, much to my mother's extreme annoyance and Ron's utter elation.

Her finger was tracing the outline of the scar on my left forearm, the one I got from the flames of a Hungarian horntail; come to think of it, it was the one we had to take to Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard. That was one nasty dragon. The scar was about two inches across and went from the tip of my elbow to the tip of my little finger.

"That's the nastiest one I have. I don't think it's beautiful. In fact, the dragon almost killed me," I whispered.

"Then it should be my favourite because you only were burnt and not killed. You wouldn't be here with me if it had." She kissed the red, puckered flesh with her lips and looked up at me in the sexy way she knew was pretty much my undoing. When I groaned, she chuckled huskily. "I wouldn't know how to please you." One hand drifted down my torso, circling wide around my navel and then down to grasp my cock. "I wouldn't have bloomed into the woman you see." The thumb of her hand swiped the tip, bringing out a drop or two of moisture.

"Lu..."

"I wouldn't have discovered this little scar, right here," she murmured against the skin of my upper thigh, placing the tip of her tongue on another scar, which ran from the edge of my pubic hair to my hipbone.

"Tha—that one was from the tail of a Ridgeback," I answered, beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Mmm..." She kissed my hip and then followed the scar down until she reached the hair. Luna didn't stop and moved her way toward the base of my cock. With wide eyes, I watched her take me into her mouth and began sucking it in earnest.

I thrust my hips, pushing myself deeper into her mouth. She groaned, gagging a bit before returning to her task. She wasn't as skilled as some, but she made up for it with enthusiasm, moving her mouth smoothly up and down and sucking at the base before sliding back up to the tip and running her tongue along the ridge of my foreskin. I began breathing harder, edging slowly toward release, when she looked up at me again and catching my eye. The sight of her there, with her mouth around me and her wicked eyes, daring me to explode was enough to push me to the precipice and over it, releasing myself into her mouth. She pulled back with a 'pop' and I watched as the white spunk splattered on her cheek.

"Sorry," I said breathily, reaching up to wipe the come off her cheek.

She backed away, moved her tongue to the side, and licked the drops off, taking them into her mouth. It was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Luna gave me a little smile and then curled herself against my chest, hugging me close.

"I'm sleepy now. Shall I go back to my room?"

"You don't sound like you want to," I said, my heart tightening up at the thought of holding her all night.

"I want to stay, but your mother—"

"Will just have to deal with it." I kissed the top of her head and settled the covers around us. My eyelids began to drift closed and I let sleep take over with a smile of utter bliss forming on my lips.

* * *

The day before I was set to leave, we all geared up for a quick game of Quidditch. Ginny had signed on with the Harpies the previous day and she wanted to get in a workout with all her brothers. She picked teams, of course, and went against type when she picked me as Seeker over Harry. He gave her a scathing look and she just stuck her tongue out at him, to which he licked his lips and made my sister blush.

"Don't tell me, Gin. I prefer to remember you as an innocent," I teased before turning my attention to my broom. The thing hadn't received a proper trimming in some time and I was determined to make my Cleansweep as fit as possible against Harry's Firebolt Airstream XI. The bastard got a racing class broom for free when the damn company found out that he'd lost his over Surrey. It would take me a lifetime to earn enough to buy one of those.

"Funny, real funny, you cradle robber," she teased.

I know that she was taking the mickey, but it stung. "Thought you didn't have a problem with us."

"I don't," she said, turning her attention to her own broom, which was a Comet 420E, a world-class broom given to her by the Harpies yesterday. "I just worry about her."

I pushed back the words that wanted to fly out at her and gathered myself. "She's a big girl, Ginny. She can take care of herself."

"And can you?"

I turned toward her, giving her a questioning look.

"I mean, can you take care of her?"

I didn't like where this was leading and never being one to beat around the bush, I blurted out, "What is it you want? Being subtle doesn't suit you."

"What exactly are your intentions?" asked Ginny with her brow raised and looking a little irritated.

"My...intentions?" I couldn't help the sharp edge to my voice. "Didn't realise it was any of your business."

"She's one of my best friends, Charlie, and I don't want to see her hurt."

"And why would I hurt her? I...I love her." I felt my cheeks redden; I'd never admitted the depth of my feelings for Luna to anyone other than her and Bill.

"Well, has she told you?" Ginny asked nonchalantly, running a hand over the shiny handle of her broom.

"Told me what?"

"What she wants. From you."

"I'm not having this conversation with you, Ginny," I announced, grabbing my broomstick and getting off the bench.

"She wants to move to Romania," came Ginny's voice, causing me to stop.

That was news. Luna and I hadn't spoken about anything beyond tomorrow. I was going back to work and she was staying here to...? She never did tell me what she wanted to do now that she was done with school. I suddenly felt very stupid; we hadn't talked much since I'd been back. In fact, we had sex more than anything else. This wasn't the way it was supposed to go, not if I wanted more from her. The problem was, I didn't know myself.

"I'd suggest actually talking to her, Charlie, instead of shagging at every opportunity," Ginny said firmly, strolling over and put an arm around my waist and started walking with me. "Didn't mean to sound like Mum, honest. It's just that Luna's _really_ in love with you and you have the power to make her extremely happy or to completely break her heart. You're not a teenager anymore."

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Thanks for reminding me, Sprout. And as much as it pains me to say this," I said, stopping us just before we got to the pitch, "you're right. I have to figure out where this is going."

"Where do you want it to go?"

I shrugged and looked up at the clouds floating above us. "I don't know." I glanced down at Ginny, whose scowl from earlier was replaced with an understanding smile. "Come on, we've got some Quidditch to play. Harry may have defeated Voldemort, but he never went up against me!"

* * *

After the Quidditch game, which ended when I caught the Snitch, I decided to have a talk with Luna. The opportunity presented itself rather easily as Ginny pulled Harry away to console him in her own way; Ron took Hermione aside for a victory snog. I don't know what happened to everyone else.

I took her hand in mine and led her to a tree, sitting on the grass as the fireflies began to come out, twinkling like faerie lights. We sat in silence for a moment before I turned to her.

"We need to talk, Luna," I said, not liking the way my voice came across.

She sighed and turned herself so that she was facing me. "I knew this was coming. I'll try not to cry when you break up with me."

"No, it's not that, I swear. We...I want to know what you're going to do now that you're done with school." The worry visibly left her face. "You never did tell me."

"I have a few options," Luna answered lightly. "I could work at _The Quibbler_ with my father but I do not think that I would like sitting behind a desk. I applied for a Ministry job, working with Hermione. Did you know she's working in Regulation of Magical Creatures?" I hadn't. "There is also the possibility of working in Transylvania."

"Transylvania? Doing what?" There was only place people like Luna work in Transylvania, and there was no way I was going to let her do that.

She turned away from me. "I may study graphorns."

"You know they're dangerous, don't you?" My jaw set in irritation and I sprung up off the grass.

"Yes, I do. That's one of the challenges that I like."

"But why?" I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it from her.

"Because you're there. In Romania," she whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear her.

I spun around to face her. "Am I the reason you want to risk your life? Or do you really love studying graphorns? If that's your passion, I won't stop you. But please, don't do it just to be near me."

"So you don't want to have me around?"

"That's not it at all," I said, reassuring her as I fell to the ground beside her. "I'd love to have you there. It would make things much...much—"

"More pleasant?" A smile began to break the corners of her mouth.

I leaned forward and kissed her head. "Yes, of course."

"But if I didn't move there, would we continue being together?"

I knew she would ask this question sooner or later, and I had a painful flashback to the same conversation, but with another girl, one that I let slip through my fingers.

"I've been through this before."

"With Dora Tonks." I began to say something but she stopped me with a hand on my mouth. "Ginny told me about the two of you. But she didn't tell me much. Will you tell me?"

I nodded; Luna deserved to know. I owed her that much.

"We went together for about a year, but when I decided to go to Romania, she decided to become an Auror at the same time. Neither one of us wanted to give up each other, but we also didn't want to stop pursuing our careers." I had to stop because my throat was tightening and I didn't want to cry over this. Taking a deep breath, I began again. "We were both so stubborn and driven. I wanted to get away from England. I was torn in so many directions...Quidditch, dragons, the ministry, Dora...and I couldn't take it anymore."

"So you ran."

I chuckled and shook my head in disbelief. "Yeah. No one ever figured that out before."

"Sometimes running away is the only way to figure out what it is we want to run _to_."

Her intuitiveness was remarkable. In a few words, she was able to scrape away years of hurt and anger, exposing the tender flesh of my psyche. Instead of the sting from the past, I felt a sort of healing from her gentle words and the way that she looked at me. Maybe, just maybe, I'd been running for too long.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked her softly, my mouth hovering just above her ear and she nodded in answer. "Do you really want to spend your life studying those ruddy animals?"

Luna placed her hands on my cheeks and lifted my face to look at me. "No."

I burst out laughing and pulled her onto my lap. I'd never been so happy to hear that someone didn't want to be around me.

* * *

In August, when the weather was terribly humid, a few of us went to a pub in the village. It was nice to sit down with the blokes and drink some ice-cold ale. We hadn't done this in a long time, and since the baby dragons had hatched, we weren't needed at the reserve much. Contrary to the general public's opinion, dragons are very good parents.

"So, Charlie, tell us about voman who writes you," drawled Vlad. "You don't talk about her vith us."

The others made various sounds, egging me on. I normally wouldn't talk about anyone I was involved in; my father taught me to be a gentleman, after all. But the combination of male camaraderie and the ale loosened my tongue.

"Her name's Luna. She's...she gets me," I said dreamily. I sounded like a lovesick teenager.

Petyr snorted into his drink. "That's the lamest explanation I've ever heard, Charlie."

"Well, it's true. She understands me better than anyone in my family and we have a lot of the same interests—"

"What about the sex? She any good?" asked Bryant with a chuckle.

I shot up out of my chair and sent it crashing to floor, grabbed Bryant by the collar, and brought him up out of his chair.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about her like that!" I felt a wild protectiveness stir up inside me, something I'd never felt before. "She is not that kind of girl!" I released him with a shove back into his chair.

"S-sorry, Charlie! Didn't mean anything by it!" He looked more frightened than the time he was cornered by an overprotective mother Chinese Fireball.

"Vat's she like, Charlie," Vlad added softly, presumably to diffuse the situation. "Didn't see her ven she vas here."

I smiled as images of that weekend came to mind. "She's quiet but very observant. Blunt but not maliciously. She...she likes, well, strange and mythical creatures. Thinks some of 'em are real."

"Like that fruit Lovegood who writes _The Quibbler_?" Petyr chuckled.

I took a deep breath, calming my anger. "He's her father."

Petyr's grin widened. I gathered he was waiting for the punch line. When it didn't come, the smile faded and his face blanched. "Oh."

"She took a job at the British Ministry, working in the Department of Magical Creatures. But sometimes she writes for her dad," I simply said, pleased with the way I'd managed myself.

"Then she's told you dat the Vales reserve is looking for senior director, no?" Vlad asked with a raised eyebrow.

Heat gathered at my collar. Why hadn't she told me?

I shook my head. "Haven't talked to her for a while." I suddenly wanted to get out of there or get royally pissed. I couldn't decide which.

"Maybe she doesn't want you back in England, Charlie," Petyr chuckled. "Maybe she's got something on the side."

Bryant elbowed Petyr in the ribs and hissed, "Shut up."

I snarled at them, got up off my chair, and strolled over the bar. Finding an empty stool, I straddled it and ran a hand through my hair.

"Rough night, love?"

I looked up and saw Stefania, the barmaid and a past one night stand, or perhaps more than one night. She had luscious chestnut brown hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a set of tits that made a man's mouth water.

"Hey, Stef."

"Missed you around here, Charlie," she purred and leaned on the bar, presenting me with a rather nice view of her cleavage. I had to swallow hard to keep myself from taking what she was so obviously offering.

"Busy around the reserve, that's all." I looked away from her chest and up at her eyes. My mother always tried to stress that was where I was supposed to look when I talked to a woman.

"I know that look. And it has nothing to do with dragons. Who broke your heart?" She gave me a sympathetic smile and slid a glass of stout in front of me. "You still like that kind, don't you?"

I nodded and took a deep drink. "And just so you know, she didn't break my heart."

"Not yet."

I turned and found her sitting on the stool next to me. _When had she moved?_

"She wouldn't do that. She's sweet." I had to smile at the thought of Luna. "Haven't seen her for a while. She's in England."

"Not another one, Charlie." Stefania shook her head. She was the one who'd picked me up, so to speak, after Dora and I finally broke it off completely. "When are you going to learn?" She patted my arm patronizingly.

I spun on the stool and faced her. "She's not an Auror. Luna's the complete opposite of Dora."

"Then why are you feeling sorry for yourself?"

_Bloody hell, when did she become a mind__reader?_

"I am not feeling sorry for myself." I drank from my mug and shook my head, hoping to deflect her line of questioning. "My mates are not the best companions tonight."

She smiled again and cocked her head to the side. "So what sort of companion are you looking for then?"

Had I not already consumed four glasses of beer and on my way to finishing my fifth, my wits would've been a bit sharper. "Are you offering?"

"I'm done at two," she replied with a wink. "And anything you want is on the house. Drinks, too." Stefania leaned forward and kissed my cheek before turning around to make her way through the pub to wait on tables.

* * *

I awoke with a groan and a pounding headache. The sun was burning my eyelids and I rolled over, willing the evil daylight to go away and leave me alone. My powers of persuasion, unfortunately, were not as strong as I once thought and I opened my eyes fully, taking in my room of the cabin.

"Good, you're awake," came a feminine voice from the doorway and it wasn't Luna. I bolted into a sitting position and held down the urge to vomit all over myself.

"What the fuck?" My eyes alighted on Stefania, looking as if she belonged there, wearing one of my t-shirts, which barely covered her. "What the hell are you doing here, Stef?" I looked under the covers and thankfully saw that I was still wearing my boxer shorts and socks. If I had sex last night, I would have taken off my socks.

"Making sure your sorry ass woke up. You were drunker than I've ever seen you, Charlie. Petyr and Vlad were worried about you." She crossed her arms over her chest, which brought the shirt higher on her thighs and revealed her purple knickers.

"Why didn't one of them stay?" I located a shirt on the floor and pulled it over my head, regretting it immediately, since it smelled like beer; I must have spilled at one point.

"You weren't kissing them."

"What?" This was getting worse by the second. "We...we didn't...well, did we?" I could feel heat rising up my neck and blossoming on my ears.

"No. I tried, though. You're a hard lay to forget, Charlie Weasley," she said with a smirk. "I gave up after you called me Luna for the fifth time."

"Oh Merin...Luna," I moaned, falling back onto the pillows. "What am I going to tell her?"

"Nice girl, Luna. You didn't tell me she was so young." This couldn't be happening. Stef actually spoke to Luna. There could be no other explanation. "She Floo'd about an hour ago. She wasn't mad once I told her what happened."

I tilted my head to look at her. "You _told_ her? She knows you kissed me?"

"You kissed me first, Charlie." Stefania moved to the end of the bed and sat down. "She asked if you still had your socks on and when I said 'yes,' she wasn't mad anymore. She's kettle over arse for you. Move back to England. She's a keeper."

I could only stare at her and mutter, "Wuh?"

"Since you did awaken, my job here is done. I'll just get dressed and go. Coffee's hot and strong, the way Luna said you liked it." And with that, Stefania got off the bed and left the room. The closing of the bathroom door and the sound of her Apparation was the last I heard from her.

Once I'd drunk three cups of coffee, which was, in fact, as strong and as hot as Stefania promised, I decided to Floo Luna. Even though she knew what happened from Stef, I had to tell her myself. And ask about the job in Wales.

"Charlie!" Luna squealed from the green flames. I usually hated talking via International Floo, but this was important. "Are you feeling much better?"

"Er, yeah. Thanks. I wanted to talk to you about that, actually."

Luna waved me off. "Stefania explained. It must be nice to have such a good friend."

"But I wasn't acting like a friend last night. I was kissing her."

"Yes."

I couldn't believe her. How could she be so calm? "Aren't you going to yell at me or something?"

"Would it make you feel better if I did?"

"Yeah, yeah, it would, actually." I took a deep breath and braced myself for the barrage I was about to receive.

"THERE'S A JOB AVAILABLE AT THE WALES RESERVE FOR A SENIOR KEEPER! I THOUGHT OF YOU WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT!"

My jaw dropped in astonishment. "No...that's not what I meant, Lu."

"I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO YELL AT YOU!"

"Stop—stop it, Luna." She frowned as if I just told her the last Crumple Horned Snorkack had died. "You should be mad at me. That's what you should have been yelling about."

"Why? Nothing happened. You kissed her, but you were thinking of me. You kept your socks on."

"So why aren't you mad?" Usually, this is the point where a woman throws something at me and dismisses me from her life.

Luna nodded. "I was. But I trust you almost as much as I love you. You were intoxicated and didn't know what you were doing. If you had gone through with it, then yes, I would be rather upset."

I had to smile at her answer. Every time she's said that she loves me, it gives my heart an extra beat. "I'm sorry for kissing her," I whispered and bowed my head in shame.

"Look at me, Charles," she said with a firm voice. I raised my head and her hand was reaching through the flames. "Take my hand." I scooted closer to the fireplace and grasped her hand in mine. "Feel my heartbeat?" I nodded. "It belongs to you. My heart beats in anticipation for the next time I can see you face to face."

My bottom lip quivered and my eyes welled up. "I love you. I miss you." I watched as tears fell from her eyes. I let the ones building in mine fall freely.

"Wales...the reserve there is looking for a senior keeper," she said softly as she sniffed.

"I know. Why didn't you tell me before now? Vlad knew."

"Yes, because he recommended you for it."

"What?"

"The job is yours if you want it, Charlie. The department is impressed with your work and they want you."

In all my life, I never expected this. "Is there a catch?" There always is.

She cleared her throat look up at me sheepishly. "I suppose so."

"I knew it. What?"

"You will be required to make love to me every night because when you come back, I'm moving in with you."

My neck and face reddened and my cock hardened at the prospect. "Really?"

"Really, really," she said brightly. "I called earlier to offer you the job. So I suppose, I should do that now." I watched as she turned, grabbed a folder, and then cleared her throat. "Charles Octavius Weasley, on behalf of the Department and Regulation of Magical Creatures, I would like to extend to you the position of senior keeper at the Welsh Green Dragon Reserve in Holyhead. The position begins in three weeks with annual pay to reflect your experience and full reimbursement for housing. Do you accept the offer?" She looked up from the papers she was reading and awaited my answer with a grin.

"Yes, of course."

"And the condition of the acceptance?" She smirked at me in a way only she could.

"Gladly." My heart raced at the prospect.

"Then, on behalf of the Ministry for Magic of Britain, let me welcome you home."

* * *

I walked out of the office at the reserve in Wales with a spring in my step. I'd just had my orientation with the outgoing senior keeper and was anticipating my first full day. But first, I had to look for a place to live.

I spotted Luna sitting under a tree, reading a book while her wand was tucked inside her hair, holding it up in a loose bun. My steps quickened, and I soon found myself sitting at her feet.

"How did your meeting go?" she asked as she wove her fingers though my hair, sending shivers along my scalp.

"Brilliant. The blokes are great and the dragons are actually pretty nice, as far as dragons go."

"Good. Now what?" Luna leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Your mother asked me over for dinner tonight. Are you going with me?"

I contemplated this for a moment. It was the third week of October and I'd told Mum that I would be home for a visit on Halloween.

I shook my head. "No. You sure you have to go?" I asked with a chuckle. "We haven't found a place to live yet." Flashes of having my wicked way with her filled my body with lust.

"We could...look for some place." I cut her off by teasing her earlobe with my mouth and tongue in serious hope that she'd just like to go back to the little inn where we'd spent the last three nights. "Or...not." She turned toward me and our lips locked in a kiss that turned my knees to jelly.

We tumbled to the ground and soon found ourselves groping and thrusting as if we hadn't been shagging twice a night. I cupped her breast with my hand, savouring the weight of it as I squeezed it gently, earning a moan from deep within her throat. My jeans were tight and I ached to have her right there under the tree. I could tell she wanted the same thing; her scent was unmistakable.

"Please, Charlie..." she begged and I lifted my head, taking note of her half-closed lids and her flushed cheeks. She was so, so very beautiful and seeing her panting for me took my breath away.

"I love you, Lu," I whispered as I moved her above me and quickly stripped her of her clothing before casting a quick Disillusionment charm on us. She fumbled with my zip and pushed my trousers and underwear past my hips. I moaned as she grasped my thick cock and centred herself over me. I fought to keep my eyes open while she sank down on me, engulfing me in her warmth.

"Damn, Charlie." Luna threw back her head and began rocking against me.

"You swore," I said with a chuckle. She rarely swore in everyday conversation and had only occasionally while making love.

She stopped her movements. "I'm sorry. Should I stop?"

I shook my head in desperation. "You sure as hell better not!" I gripped her hips and pushed her down as I thrust my hips up into her. She smiled crookedly at me and sped up the pace, sliding up and down along my prick and sending delicious sensations throughout my body. I sat up, held her to me, and kissed her lips.

"Mmm," she said while we kissed.

Her movements sped up and soon I felt her clench around me, taking me over the edge right along with her. We kept kissing and touching under the tree, hidden in our own little world as a cool breeze fluttered around us. Neither of us noticed it; we were too wrapped up in each other.

Luna ran her fingers along my back and ticked the skin lightly. She moved her hips slightly and clenched my back. She was getting ready to come again. Years ago, I would have been ready for another go and hard inside her. As she continued to rub against me, my will was being defeated by my body. It frustrated me and I tried desperately to urge blood to swell my cock. She bit my tongue, telling me she'd reached her crest before the fluttering of her body alerted me to the fact.

"I'm sorry," I whispered and pulled away from her. Without looking at her, I lifted her off me and fastened my jeans.

"Why?" Her voice seemed far away.

"Because I couldn't...again." I closed my eyes to the shame that washed over me. I felt her arms move around my waist and her cheek on my back.

"Oh, Charlie." I felt her kiss my shoulder. "It doesn't matter. You give me so much pleasure that sometimes it just boils over and I can't hold it in."

I turned around and pulled her into my arms. The lemony scent of her hair calmed me and I laughed at myself; my pride hurt, yes, but it would be the end of me if I let it get to me all the time. Besides, there would be more tonight.

Luna and I walked hand in hand toward The Burrow; I felt nervous for some odd reason. She squeezed my hand and I knew it would be all right. She always knew how to calm me down. I had been on edge since we left her father's house to get the rest of her things.

It had been a strange afternoon at the Lovegood home. Luna had gone upstairs to start packing and I had stayed to speak with Xeno. I'd had something on my mind for a while, actually, ever since I set foot back in England.

_"Mr. Lovegood," I began, "can I talk to you about something?"  
_

_"Yes, Charles. Of course."_

_"Well, I was wondering...well, I was hoping that." I turned away and ran a hand through my hair. I had never been so nervous in all my life._

_"I find that if I am at a loss for words, a nice gurdyroot tea helps quite a bit. Would you care for some?" He stood up but I reached out and stopped him._

_I shook my head. "I'm fine, sir." I watched as he sat down again and locked his eyes with mine. It was a little unnerving. "Luna...she's a very special woman." I could feel my collar begin to heat._

_"She is, isn't she? Her mother lives within her."_

_"And, well, I've come to care for her quite a bit over the past few months," I admitted. It was odd talking to her father about how I felt about his daughter._

_"Luna has been very forthcoming about her relationship with you."_

_I swallowed hard. Dread filled me as I realised just how forthcoming my honest and open Luna was. "Really?" I asked in a squeaky voice._

_"Sometimes, there are things a father doesn't need to know about his daughter."_

_I nodded and smiled, relieved that he wasn't going to give me any 'advice.' "I want to know if you're... comfortable with the difference in our ages."_

_"Are you comfortable with it? Is she?"_

_"It's not an issue for us."_

_"Then why should it bother me, Charles? You make my daughter happy and from what I can see, you're happy around her. I should think that's all that matters."_

_I sighed in relief. "Well, yes, that's true."_

_"Are you trying to ask me something else?"_

_I knew what he was getting at and it scared me to death. "Sir?"_

_"Do you want my permission to marry my daughter?" My mouth flapped open like a fish out of water and nothing came out. "Why should I be the one to give it? It's her choice. I really have no say in the matter. I like you, Charles, and would be happy for you if that's what you're planning."_

_"N-no, not yet."_

_"Well, when the time comes, all you have to do is ask her."_

"Charlie?" Luna asked, stopping us in the dirt path at the top of the hill.

I snapped out of my thoughts and smiled. "What?"

"Are you all right? You've been so quiet."

"I'm good, really. Just can't wait to take you home tonight." I pulled her close and kissed her hair.

"Home. I like the sound of that," she said wistfully, her big blue eyes meeting mine. "But it will have to wait, remember? Your family is expecting us."

"Damn family always gets in the way." We both chuckled and continued walking toward the crooked house I grew up in.

Since the evening was rather cool, no one was outside. We barely made it to the door when it flung open and my family poured outside. One by one, Luna and I were engulfed in hugs, kisses, and swats on the back. When Luna's lips began turning blue, Mum herded us all inside. Mum had, of course, gone overboard with the food and the kitchen was overcrowded, yet there was much joy in the room. I caught only fragments of the conversations around me.

"Victoire's starting to crawl..."

"Kingsley's done a bang up job..."

"We're expanding the shop..."

"We've got to get you to a Harpies game. Gin's brilliant!"

"We're making some wonderful progress on house elf rights..."

"Charlie has a new job." The room got deathly silent and as I looked around, I saw forks stopped mid-air in their journey to various mouths. Luna squeezed my knee under the table and we grinned at each other. My stomach relaxed and my lungs no longer felt like lead.

"Charlie?" Mum asked, tears starting to brim in her eyes. "What's this about?" The eyes of my family members moved quickly from Mum to me, anxiously awaiting my answer.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "It's true. I'm...I'm the new senior keeper at the reserve in Wales." My face beamed with pride only matched by Bill talking about Vickie. Once the last word was out of my mouth, the room filled with whoops and the scrapping of chairs against the floor. Bill hit me on the back, Mum splattered my cheeks with kisses, Dad wiped tears from his cheeks. Everyone else simply whistled or clapped.

I turned to Luna and saw her shy smile. She was the only one that mattered, and at that moment, it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

Mum rubbed my back and turned my chin to look at her."So Charlie, are you going to get married now?"

* * *

The wedding was beautiful. Muriel spoke her mind about how lovely the bride was and how indecent the cut of her dress appeared. Mum cried, soaking three handkerchiefs. My brothers set off a wild fireworks display to celebrate the occasion.

"She looks happy, doesn't she?" Luna asked me as we danced. "And so does your brother."

"Not as happy as I am." I spun Luna around and she giggled, drawing attention to us for a moment. "But really, Percy? Never thought he'd get married at all."

Luna ran her fingers through my hair before settling her hand at the nape of my neck. "Everyone is entitled to a little happiness in life. Even Percy."

"Mmm hmm. Even Percy." I looked to my left and spotted Percy and Audrey speaking with her parents, their boisterous laughter filtering through the ballroom.

"And even us." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed me lightly on the lips. I took the invitation and deepened the kiss.

"Wookit, Gramma!"

Luna and I sprang apart, finding little Teddy Lupin staring up at us. "Charwee and Wuna sittin in a twee!"

"Sorry, you two. He got away from me," apologized Andromeda, turning her grandson around to find Harry.

"But dey kissing, Gramma!"

We watched as he ran over to Ginny and Harry, wrapping his little arms around his godfather's legs as his hair turned black as coal. Harry bent down and picked Teddy up to look at baby James.

"He was right after all," Luna said softly. "About us."

"What?"

"We were kissing. You know, Charlie and Luna sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

I grinned and pulled her close again. "First came love." I kissed her on the nose and ran a hand down her back. I could feel her shiver at my touch.

"Then came marriage," she added, looking down at her left hand. "It's been a wonderful year."

"Definitely. And the baby carriage?" I looked down and admired her baby belly. She was due in about a month and a half.

"Coming along nicely." I watched as she rubbed her stomach over her dress. She never looked more beautiful.

It's funny how much my life has changed since I danced with her at Bill's wedding. She's brought more into my life than I ever thought possible.

But she still hasn't given my Care of Magical Creatures books back. I'll have to remind her about that.

Some day.


End file.
